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Shreyas Iyer Gave Up Domestic Captaincy For Asia Cup Comeback Opportunity - Report

Rajgeeta Yadav

Shreyas Iyer declined West Zone captaincy [Source: AFP]Shreyas Iyer declined West Zone captaincy [Source: AFP]

India star batter Shreyas Iyer has been left out of India’s squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, and this decision has surprised many. The BCCI announced the 15-member team last week, and Iyer’s absence was one of the biggest talking points. 

This was especially shocking because Iyer has been in great form recently. In IPL 2025, he led Punjab Kings to the finals for the first time in 11 years. Earlier, in 2024, he captained Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their third IPL title.

Now, a new twist has come to light. According to reports, Shreyas Iyer was offered the captaincy of West Zone team for the Duleep Trophy, but he declined the role. The tournament is set to begin on August 28 at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence, and selectors eventually chose Shardul Thakur as captain instead.

Why did Shreyas Iyer refuse West Zone captaincy? 

Sources claim that he was confident of being selected for Asia Cup and wanted to focus on preparing for it. In fact, he had already started intense white-ball training with his personal coach Pravin Amre at the MCA’s BKC facility and the Cricket Club of India. Unfortunately, when the squad was announced, his name was missing even from the list of reserves.

A source told Mumbai Mirror (owned by the Times Group), 

"Yes, it is true that Iyer declined the offer from the West Zone selection committee to captain the team. Following that, committee chairman Sanjay Patil, who is also the Mumbai chief selector, approached Thakur to lead the side – an opportunity the latter gladly accepted.”

Despite turning down the captaincy, Iyer has still made himself available to play in the tournament.

When asked about Iyer’s omission, chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained that it wasn’t due to poor form. He said there simply wasn’t anyone Iyer could replace in the current squad and that Iyer would have to wait for his next opportunity.

Iyer’s stats, however, speak for themselves. He was India’s top scorer in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, scoring 243 runs in five matches with an average of 48.60, including two fifties. In IPL 2025, he had his best-ever season, scoring 604 runs in 17 matches at an average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 175.07, with six half-centuries and a highest score of 97*.

For now, Shreyas Iyer will turn his focus to the Duleep Trophy, where he will play alongside stars like Sarfaraz Khan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ruturaj Gaikwad.